Cork students produce and distribute over 1,000 masks to healthcare staff across the county

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Full scale production is currently underway at a school in Kinsale where two students have already made over 1,000 face shields for front line HSE staff.

Oisin Coyle and Sahne Collins, along with their teachers, have spent the last few weeks, manufacturing vital PPE equipment using 3D printers.

The Transition Year and Fifth Year students at Kinsale Community School have teamed up with teachers Maria Brosnan, Thomas Clancy, and Aaron Bowen to produce the masks.

Fifth year student Oisisn, came up with the profile after researching what was needed and the masks were then looked at by a GP who agreed they were perfect for use in a medical setting..

The team have set up a production line in their Microsoft Digital Hub where they have five 3D printers that make around seven masks every two hours.

They're producing around seven units every two hours (Image: Kinsale Community School)

CorkBeo caught up with school principal Fergal McCarthy along with students Oisin and Shane to see how their efforts were going.

""Production is going really well so far, we have produced in excess of 1,000 masks to date. Yesterday was our record production day where we exceeded 400 in a day.

"We have been distributing them far and wide to nursing homes, hospitals and GPs around the city."

Just some of the places that the masks have been sent to so far include CUH, Mercy Hospital, South Infirmary, Mater Private Hospital, Bandon Community Hospital and Nursing home as well as various nursing homes, pharmacies and GP practices.

The masks are being transported and distributed by members of An Garda Siochana who have been taking them to where they are needed the most.

The team are about to see their production line get even busier as Kinsale Lions Club have generously donated 10 more printers to the cause.

Oisin Coyle and Shane Collins have been rolling out PPE equipment using the school's 3D printers (Image: Kinsale Community School)

Oisin and Shane have been tirelessly researching all the latest mask designs and have discovered a new idea that can be manufactured using laser cutters, which the school have three of.

Mr McCarthy told CorkBeo that they will keep up production for as long as the demand is there.

"As long as people need to feel safe in their workplace, we will continue to provide them with masks.

"Obviously if there is a plentiful supply of them and we are not needed anymore we may well look at what is then needed after that".

Shane also told us that the printers can print other parts of machines that are needed in hospitals.

"Within a day you can switch printing to any design that is necessary, so if there is some other part that needs to be printed we can do whatever is in demand.".